NEW YORK — TIME magazine announced the nomination of Carla Cosenzi Zayac, president of Country Nissan in Hadley, for the 2026 TIME Dealer of the Year award.
Cosenzi is one of a select group of 47 dealer nominees from across the country who will be honored at the 109th annual National Automobile Dealers Assoc. (NADA) Show in Las Vegas on Feb. 5, 2026.
The TIME Dealer of the Year award is one of the automobile industry’s most prestigious and highly coveted honors, recognizing the nation’s most successful auto dealers who also demonstrate a long-standing commitment to community service. Cosenzi was chosen to represent the Massachusetts State Auto Dealers Assoc. in the national competition, one of only 47 auto dealers nominated for the 57th annual award from more than 20,000 nationwide.
A second-generation dealer and president of Country Nissan within the family-owned TommyCar Auto Group, Cosenzi didn’t initially plan a retail automotive career. After earning a master’s degree in clinical psychology from Columbia University, she agreed — at her father Tom Cosenzi’s urging — to try the family business.
“From my first sale, I realized I could change how people experienced the car-buying process,” she said. “Trust, transparency, and relationships became the foundation — and many of those early customers still come back today.”
Cosenzi completed the NADA Dealer Academy, worked through every department, and earned a general manager role just before her father’s glioblastoma diagnosis altered the course of the company and her life.
When her father passed away after a courageous battle with glioblastoma, Cosenzi was faced with the unexpected responsibility of leading the family business. “At 29, I was suddenly responsible for more than 200 employees,” she said. “There were moments the weight felt unbearable — but our team’s loyalty and my father’s values of integrity, hard work, and putting people first guided every decision.” In the years since, she has stabilized and grown the business while honoring his legacy.
Cosenzi grew the family business through strategic expansion — adding new franchises, launching TommyCar Collision and TommyCar Towing, and making significant investments in modern, customer-centric facilities. Under her direction, she led the construction of state-of-the-art Volkswagen and Hyundai dealerships, and is now leading a renovation of the Country Nissan facility, incorporating the latest Nissan retail design and innovative, customer-first features.
Committed to the community, she also established the Carla Cares program, which reviews thousands of local requests annually and mobilizes volunteers and funding across youth programs, women’s shelters, food banks, and more, giving team members ownership of the causes they champion.
The group’s signature event, the Tom Cosenzi Driving for the Cure Charity Golf Tournament, held in memory of her father, is one of the largest charity golf tournaments in Western Mass. and consistently ranks among the top 10 events supporting the Jimmy Fund and Dana-Farber Cancer Institute. Since its founding in 2009, it has raised more than $2 million for glioblastoma cancer research, with more than 90% employee participation each year. In addition, the Tom Cosenzi Scholarship, also created in her father’s memory, awards $5,000 annually to local graduating seniors.
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